Yalemzewod Assefa Gelaw
Honorary Research Associate
PhD, MPH, BSc
yalemzewod.gelaw@thekids.org.au
Dr Yalemzewod Gelaw joined The Kids Research Institute Australia in 2021 as a research officer on the Malaria Atlas Project. In his role, Gelaw supports insecticide-treated net coverage modelling and age-splitting treatment-seeking projects. He has PhD from the University of Queensland and his thesis focused on profiling high-risk geographical areas using spatial modelling in Ethiopia. He worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, at the Population Child Health Research Group at the University of New South Wales before joining MAP. In his role, Gelaw has led big data analyses from the Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS) data.
He has more than ten years of teaching and research experience in Australia and low-and-middle-income countries and has served as a health professional in the Ethiopia Ministry of Health. His wider research interests include modelling malaria endemicity, malaria reproduction numbers for malaria elimination in low malaria settings and preventing and controlling infectious diseases at low cost using geostatistical models.
Published research
Socio-demographic correlates of unhealthy lifestyle in Ethiopia: a secondary analysis of a national survey
Multiple lifestyle risk factors exhibit a stronger association with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) compared to a single factor, emphasizing the necessity of considering them collectively. By integrating these major lifestyle risk factors, we can identify individuals with an overall unhealthy lifestyle, which facilitates the provision of targeted interventions for those at significant risk of NCDs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the socio-demographic correlates of unhealthy lifestyles among adolescents and adults in Ethiopia.
Developmental trajectories of socio-emotional outcomes of children and young people in out-of-home care – Insights from data of Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS)
There has been a limited understanding of the longitudinal trajectory and determinants of socio-emotional outcomes among children in out-of-home care (OOHC). This study aimed to examine child socio-demographics, pre-care maltreatment, placement, and caregiver factors associated with trajectories of socio-emotional difficulties of children in OOHC.
Evaluating COVID-19-Related Disruptions to Effective Malaria Case Management in 2020–2021 and Its Potential Effects on Malaria Burden in Sub-Saharan Africa
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to far-reaching disruptions to health systems, including preventative and curative services for malaria. The aim of this study was to estimate the magnitude of disruptions in malaria case management in sub-Saharan Africa and their impact on malaria burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used survey data collected by the World Health Organization, in which individual country stakeholders reported on the extent of disruptions to malaria diagnosis and treatment.
Mapping national, regional and local prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in Ethiopia using geospatial analysis
This study aimed to map the national, regional and local prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in Ethiopia.
The COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare systems in Africa: A scoping review of preparedness, impact and response
The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed health systems in both developed and developing nations alike. Africa has one of the weakest health systems globally, but there is limited evidence on how the region is prepared for, impacted by and responded to the pandemic.
Education and Qualifications
- 2020 – 2021: Postdoctoral Research Associate (Biostatistician in Child Health), UNSW Medicine, Australia
- 2016 – 2020: PhD (Epidemiology) – University of Queensland, Australia
- 2011 – 2013 MPH: (Epidemiology and Biostatistics) – University of Gondar, Ethiopia
- 2003 – 2006: BSc. (Environmental Health Science) – Debub University, Ethiopia
Awards/Honours
- 2019: 62nd ASTMH Annual Meeting Travel Award Winner for Conference Presenters, the USA
- 2019: Scholarship to attend "An Introduction to Infectious Disease Modelling" course, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the USA.
- 2017: "Thomas McIntyre" Travel Scholarship ($3,000 AUD) for tuberculosis researchers, Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School, the University of Queensland, Australia.
- 2016 - 2020: Full PhD Scholarship, University of Queensland International Scholarship (UQI), University of Queensland, Australia
- 2011 – 2013: Full Masters Scholarship, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
Active Collaborations
- The Ethiopia Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia
- Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
- The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), Ethiopia
- The Vietnam National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology (NIMPE), Vietnam